TRIP GALLERY

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

1. Trekking around Manaslu (8,163 m) - the eighth highest peak in the world.>2.Panoramic and close by view of the mountains.3. Trekking in a less crowded route. 4. Trekking along the wild and ferocious Budhi Gandaki river.5. Enjoying the rich flora and fauna diversity of mid Nepali hills.

TRIP INTRODUCTION

Manaslu (8,163 m) is the eight highest mountain in the world. It is also one of the most difficult to scale, thus getting the notorious nickname - Killer Mountain. It is one of the most beautiful Himalayan peaks. The trek around Manaslu provides a experience of a lifetime.

Manaslu is also one of the lesser traveled trekking routes. It attracts far less trekkers compared to Everest Trek and Annapurna Trek.

Trekking in the region was opened in 1992. Most part of the trek lies in conserved area and you will need to take permission from the government before starting your trek.

We will start our trek from Soti Khola in Gorkha district. We will drive to Soti Khola from Kathmandu. If it’s rainy then the way to Soti Khola will be inaccessible for vehicles. We will thus have to start our trek from Arughat, which will add one extra day to our itinerary.

Beautiful villages of the Gurung and Ghale people lies on our trekking route. Monasteries and prayer flags create a mystic atmosphere during your stay in the villages. The travel to Larkya Pass at 5,420 m is a thrilling experience. The all round view of the mountains is spectacular from Larkya Pass.

Important Notes and Safety Concerns

We prioritize your safety all the time while traveling with Ambition Himalaya Treks & Expeditions. We want our valuable guests and staffs to be safe thus we have given full authority to your tour leaders to modify, cancel or update any part of the itinerary if it is considered necessary due to safety concerns. Ambition Himalaya promises that we will do our best to stick with planned itinerary. However, natural disasters, weather disturbances, health conditions or any other mishap may force us to change the planned itinerary and we hope you understand these concerns. Our leaders will give you necessary information and discuss with you before changing the itinerary.

DETAIL ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel.

Altitude: 1,300 m/4,265 ft

You will land at the Tribhuvan international airport, where you will be picked up by our representatives. They will transfer you to your hotel in a private vehicle. You will freshen up and get some rest after you reach your hotel room. You will enjoy a traditional Nepali complimentary meal with our team in the evening. Our team, including the company General Manager and guides, will accompany you for dinner, which will take place at a typical Nepali restaurant. You can enjoy musical and cultural show after dinner.

Day 02: Free day and Trek Preparation

Today is a free day rest and reserved for trek preparation . We will brief you about the upcoming tour and introduce you with the trek team in the morning. You will shop for trek essentials in the evening. All items necessary while trekking are found in the market nearby your hotel.

Day 03: Drive to Soti Khola

Altitude: 820 m/2,690 ft

Time: 8-9 hours

We have a long day’s drive ahead so we will start early. The first part of the drive, up to Dhading Besi - the district headquarter of Dhading, is on a black topped road but the drive from Dhading Besi to Arughat Bazaar is on off-road. Arughat Bazaar is an old trading outpost in the region. If the weather is bad we might need to start our trek from here. If it’s not rainy then we can drive up to Soti Khola. We will enjoy the view of typical Nepali countryside throughout our journey. We will rest in Soti Khola overnight.

Day 04: Soti Khola to Machha Khola

Altitude: 900 m/2,952 ft

Time: 6-7 hours

We will be trekking to Machha Khola today. We will mostly walk on the banks of the Budhi Gandaki river during today’s trek. Difficult and narrow ridges above the river constitute our trekking trails for the first few hours. We will reach a place called Khursane after a difficult up and down walk in the early part of the morning. We will enjoy the view of two beautiful waterfalls near Khursane. We will then enter deep Sal forests that are full of chirping birds and wild animals. The Gurung village of Lapu Besi lies on our road. We will reach Machha Khola after 6-7 hours of trek.

Day 05: Machha Khola to Jagat

Altitude: 1,260 m/4,133 ft

Time: 5-6 hours

Our target for today's trek is Jagat. We will first encounter Khorla Besi, a small typical Gurung village. We will cross a river named Thado Khola before reaching Khorla Besi. Thado Khola means steep river in Nepali. There is a natural hot spring, Tatopani, ahead of Khorla Besi. We will enjoy the hot spring for a while and then trek further to cross another river named Yaru Khola. We will then reach a place called Thado Bhanjyang. We will once again need to cross the Budhi Gandaki river as we move ahead from Thado Bhanjyang. We will walk along its shores before reaching the beautiful village of Jagat in the evening.

Day 06: Jagat to Deng

Altitude: 1,860 m/6,102 ft

Time: 6-7 hours

We will be trekking to Deng today. The first part of the trek will see us climbing a rocky ridge to reach Salleri. We will then descend to a place called Sirdibas from Salleri. The small trail to Sirdibas keeps getting larger and widens into a valley as we reach Ghatta Khola. There are numerous waterfalls on the road ahead. We will encounter Phillim, a large village of the Gurung people, on our way. The road is full of streams that flows into the Budhi Gandaki river. We will reach Deng after crossing a gorge made by the Budhi Gandaki river. Deng is a small Gurung village.

Day 07: Deng to Namrung

Altitude: 2,540 m/8,333 ft

Time: 6-7 hours

We will trek to Namrung today. We will first reach the Rana hilltop. We will then go slowly down and walk along the Budhi Gandaki valley. We will cross the river on many occasions and reach Namrung after a walk of 6-7 hours. We will go to Namrung via a village named Prok. Prok offers stunning view of the Siringi mountains. Namrung is a Buddhist village. There are many shrines and Gumbas on the road leading to Namrung. Prayer flags and chants welcome you to Namrung village, where you will stay overnight.

Day 08: Namrung to Samagaon

Altitude: 3,390 m/11,122 ft

Time: 4-5 hours

We will wake up early and enjoy the beautiful view of the Siringi, Ganesh and Himchuli mountains. We will resume our trek after breakfast. Our target for today is Samagaon. We will cross the Rupinala pass, from where we will enjoy the wonderful view of Manaslu, Gorkha, Saula and Lajing mountains. We will walk past Sama village, which houses the Ribung Monastery. Before reaching Sama village, we will reach a village named Shyala. Shyala is also a great mountain watching point as it offers stunning sights of the Ganesh, Himchuli, Ngadi (Peak 29) and Manaslu peaks. We will walk along the Budhi Gandaki river and reach Samagaon in the evening.

Day 09: Acclimatization in Samagaon

Today is a day reserved for rest and acclimatization. We will explore Samagaon and its rich Sherpa culture. People practice Buddhism and there are many monasteries and shrines in the village, including the famous Pungyen Gompa. The monastery is named after mount Manaslu. Pungyen means bracelet in the language of the locals and describes the shape of Manaslu and surrounding peaks. The shrine offers splendid view of the Manaslu glacier. It is believed by the locals that the monastery holds supernatural powers and it is that power which prevented the first few attempts to scale the mountain peak in the 1950s.

Day 10: Samagaon to Samdo

Altitude: 3,890 m/12,762 ft

Time: 4-5 hours

We will trek to the village of Samdo today. Samdo village lies just four kilometers from the northern border of Nepal and Tibet. We will meet the Budhi Gandaki river again. We will meet a divergence as we move ahead. The road to the left leads to the Manaslu Base Camp whereas the road to the right leads to the Larkya La Pass. We will take the one on the right. The vegetation starts to change from sub tropical to alpine. Samdo village provides wonderful view of the Samdo, Manaslu, Nagdi Chuli (Peak 29) and the Simang mountains.

Day 11: Samdo to Dharamsala

Altitude: 4,460 m/14,632 ft

Time: 3-4 hours

We will begin a short but strenuous hike to Dharmasala today. We will first cross two little streams on our way. We will see Larkya glacier from a close by range throughout our journey. We will walk through the valley of river Salka and reach a small stone inn at the end of our journey. The inn is at the base of the Larkya La Pass. Dharmasala means inn in Nepali and hence the name of the place. The Larkya Phedi or the base of the Larkya La Pass is at a distance of about four hours from Samdo. We will spend the night at the inn.

Day 12: Dharamsala to Bhimtang via Larkya La Pass

We will go to the main attraction of our trek today - the Larkya La Pass. We cross Larkya La glacier via its moraines. We will get a stunning view of Larkya Pass and Cho Danda while walking on the glacier. We will first walk on almost level ground and then climb steeply in the last part to reach Larkya La Pass, which provides a wonderful view of Mount Mansalu, Ratna Chuli, Cheo Himal and Annapurna II among others. The trek to Bhimtang from Larkya La will pass through highland meadows and grazing pastures.

Day 13: Bhimtang to Tilje

Altitude: 2,360 m/8,396 ft

Time: 7-8 hours

We will wake up early and enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the mountains from Bhimtang. The mountains on view include the Manaslu, Lamjung, Himlung and Cheo peaks. We will begin the trek to Tilje after breakfast. The grazing pasture of Sangure Kharka lies on our way. The way mostly passes through Rhododendron forests after Sangure Kharka. We will cross the beautiful Dudh Koshi river after walking for a short while from Sangure Kharka. We will rest for a short while at the village of Gho before continuing our journey to Tilje. There are good lodges for overnight stay in Tilije and we will rest in one of these.

Day 14: Tilje to Chyamje

Altitude: 1,430 m/4,760 ft

Time: 6-7 hours

Today is the last day of our trek. We will leave behind the village of Tilije and aim for Chyamje. Immediately after we leave Tilje, we will cross the Dudh Koshi river via a suspension bridge. We will keep climbing steeply upward until we reach Thonje. The uphill road to Thonje is full of Mani walls and prayer flags. We will continue our journey and cross the Marsyangdi river as we move ahead. We will meet trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit route when we reach a place called Dharapani. We will keep walking further until we reach Chyamje, where we rest overnight. The last part of the trek passes through green subtropical forests.

Day 15: Drive to Besisahar and Kathmandu

We will board on a vehicle waiting for us at Chyamje and head for Kathmandu after breakfast. We will first reach Besisahar, the district headquarter of Lamjung. The road follows the Marsyangdi river - which is a glacial melt. The section of road between Chyamje and Besishar is somewhat rough. The road is black topped and comfortable from Besisahar to Kathmandu. We will pass through green hills, swirling rivers and typical Nepali village on our way to Kathmandu.

Day 16: Rest in Kathmandu

You will rest in Kathmandu today after a long and tiring tour. You can enjoy walking around Thamel and Basantapur. If you are willing then you can go for sightseeing in Kathmandu valley, visiting the places you missed during your sightseeing tour before going for Manaslu circuit trek. You need to pay separately for this sightseeing tour. Major places include the Lalitpur Durbar Square and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Day 17: Departure

We will bid you goodbye with a small traditional ceremony marking your departure. Our representatives will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport, from where you will head back to your destination. You also have the option of extending your journey but it comes at extra pay.

US$ 1199/ per person (price valid minimum 2 person)

Cost Includes

Airport pickup and drop services by private vehicle

Private jeep from Kathmandu to Sotikhola

Chyamche to Besisahar by sharing jeep and Local bus to Kathmandu

Accommodation in Kathmandu as per the itinerary / with complimentary breakfast

All required trekking permits and necessary paper works

Meals on full board 3 meals per day during the trek [Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner]

Guarantee of Price: Once we confirm your booking with us, we guarantee that your prices won’t get changed. By choosing to travel with Ambition Himalaya you are choosing to travel with confidence. Either you book a month advance or a year advance we won't change the prices once you confirm the trip.

Pre-trip meeting in Kathmandu: We will have a short meeting with you before starting your trip. Normally, we held this meeting before starting your trip with us or most of the time we start this trek on the first evening of your arrival. You will be introduced your trek guide and you can talk with him about your adventure trek, any questions regarding the trip, about his experiences, qualifications or any other things. That means you will have opportunity to talk face to face regarding your trip. He may give you short briefing about your trips.

Guide, Porters and Staffs Arrangement: Ambition Himalaya Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. has permanent trekking crews who are already trained and licensed from the government of Nepal. We always provide you permanent and experienced crews for your any trip in Nepal. Our staffs are licensed from the government of Nepal, qualified, experienced and eco trained so that they are perfect for your adventure trips in Nepal. We have permanent local staffs working with us who are the backbone of their particular society. Our guides / leaders have good capacity to speak English language. They will give you chances to practice some of our local greeting which can add your more pleasure on your adventure travel with us.

Meals in Kathmandu and on the Trek: In Kathmandu your breakfast is included in the program cost. Lunch and dinners or any other meals are not included. We will provide meals on full board [Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner] during the trek. You will be given a simple menu to choose your foods. The menu is offered by the hotels or lodges. You will have options to choose Nepalese, Chinese, Italian or continental foods from the menu. Each day, you will have dinner and breakfast in the same tea house / lodge the lunch can be in different lodges. Regarding the welcome and farewell dinner, we will provide your typical Nepalese restaurant either in Kathmandu or in Pokhara.

Accommodation Facilities: We always want our clients to have best experiences in Nepal. We will accommodate you in Standard and 3 or 4 star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara most of the time. However depending on your interest and payment we can accommodation you in non-star hotels too. Please read the pricing on the email that we will send you after your inquiry. Regarding the accommodation on the treks, you will get accommodation in cozy tea houses / lodges. We give priority for hygiene, standards of the services, location etc. During the trek, your guide will take you in nice lodges where you might have chances to experience typical Nepalese style and you will be offered hygienic foods. Our accommodations are based in twin sharing facility and if there are difficulties in twin sharing we will provide you extra room without any supplementary charges. But we recommend you to tell us if you have any accommodation preferences before booking the trip. Trekking is done generally in the remote parts of Nepal with very basic facilities. Sometimes, due to large volumes of people in a particular place and the lack of lodges / rooms you might need to share with other people too. Sharing rooms with other people do not happen all the time, but it should be understood before departing for the treks.

Toilet and Bathroom Facilities: In Kathmandu you will have private toilets and bathrooms but regarding the trek in the remote area, you will have common toilets. If there is availability of private toilets, then your guide will give your rooms with private toilets and bathrooms.

Experience and Fitness for the Trek: Generally, a healthy person who has strong desire of adventure can do adventure travel with us. We suggest you to be well prepared physically and mentally to cooperate with us. We recommend you to say us any kind of previous and current health problems that you have faced or facing on the time of booking your trip with us. That will make us to take decision on your adventure that you are fit enough to experience adventure or not. On something wrong, and if you need medical treatment and rescue then it’s your responsibility to pay the expenses and Ambition Himalaya Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. or any staffs of our company will not be responsible for that. We also recommend you to consult with your doctor before starting your travel. We reserve the rights to check your medical checkup certificates if required. Trekking is done on high altitude area. Because of that we suggest you to talk with your guide for any kind of new difficulties or health problem you face. Your guide is trained so he might give your required suggestions or medicines for the betterment of your health.

Our leaders, guides, Sherpa and helpers: We work with permanent trekking crews. Our leaders and guides are compulsorily trained and licensed from the government of Nepal. We always provide you permanent and experienced crews for your any trip in Nepal. We promise that we will always send perfect staffs for your adventure trips in Nepal. We have permanent local staffs working with us who are the backbone of their particular society. Our guides / leaders have good capacity to speak English language. They will give you chances to practice some of our local greeting which can add your more pleasure on your adventure travel with us. Our guides and porters are experienced in the routes, practices local cultures and have great respect of local community. We would also like to tell you that as our guides and helpers will provide you high respect as if you also reply them the same kind of respect it would be great on your trip.

Rescue and Medical Insurances: It’s very common to travel with travel insurance now days. However, we recommend all out guests to have a good travel insurance policy with air rescue and treatment coverage. It’s not required but it is highly recommended for your safely and security. We suggest you to take care of your insurance policy that it fully covers the above mentioned parts or not even there might be some exceptions for adventure travelers. When you travel with Ambition Himalaya Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. you need to show proof of your insurance policy on request by Ambition Himalaya Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. If you do not have any insurance policy then you can buy one online after you come to Nepal too. You can view some good insurance companies in our rescue and insurance page.

Accommodation: Accommodation in Kathmandu will be standard hotel. We will accommodate you in 3 star category hotel. You will be accommodated in an air conditioned room. We provide one double room for two customers (unless you are single customer). These rooms will have either master bed or two single beds. If you have special preference on bed selection then please inform us in advance, we will try to book the room appropriate for your stay.

Accommodation is very basic in Manaslu Circuit Trekking. Not all places have high standard lodges for the accommodation of the trekkers. Some places only have 1 or 2 lodges and it might not be possible to have a private room if the place is busy. Most places will give a private room but places not having enough space will make us to share the room. Places like Dharmashala has only 1 lodge and are in very basic conditions. We seek your cooperation in case the lodge do not have private rooms available. Even though Manaslu Circuit Trek is an old trekking trail, meals and accommodation inside the lodge was only introduced recently. Tea houses are in very basic conditions. Manaslu Circuit trekking route is not for luxury travelers. The route is for travelers who can adjust with very basic facilities available and can adjust with what is available on the trek. Please write us to Ambition Himalaya Treks and Expeditions.

List of recommended gears for trekking in Nepal. These gear list can be different depending on route, season etc. Some items are only recommended for high altitude treks.